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USDA’s crop report for 2012 to show drought impact

Topics: From the Wires,

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is releasing its final crop report for 2012, providing a glimpse of what last year’s drought cost the nation’s farmers and others.

The report covers a number of crops, but attention will likely focus on corn production.

The USDA predicted the nation’s biggest harvest ever in the spring, when farmers planted 96.4 million acres of corn. But it began scaling back its estimates as the drought spread across two-thirds of the nation.

Analysts said Friday morning that they expect the final report to reflect an even smaller crop than the USDA’s December estimate.

Analysts on average expect a final estimate of 10.6 billion bushels, down from December’s 10.7 billion bushel figure.

That would still be the eighth largest corn crop in the nation’s history.

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Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

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